Authorities searching for suspect in today's Arcata home invasion

Authorities are searching for man who reportedly forced his way into an apartment on the 1300 block of 10th Street in Arcata at about 3 p.m. today, and pointed a gun at a sleeping woman's face while demanding to find "Charlie."

After the woman told the suspect she didn't know "Charlie," he grabbed her purse, wallet, and phone before fleeing, Arcata Police Department Sgt. Bob Martinez said.

The woman started to chase the suspect, who dropped her phone, before running into the Angels of Hope Thrift Shop on 10th Street and yelling, "That man just stole my purse," Martinez said.

A woman in the store and other people joined in the chase. The purse was located on railroad tracks in a field on the 1200 block of 11th Street. Martinez said the APD is still determining which set of tracks. A stocking cap that the suspect is believed to have been wearing was also found.

According to witnesses, the suspect jumped into the back seat of a new silver sedan with tinted windows a few blocks from where the robbery originally occurred, Martinez said. The sedan sped off in an unknown direction.

According to the scanner traffic, the suspect is described as an adult Hispanic male, 5 feet 4 inches to 5 feet 5 inches tall, with a heavy build wearing a scarf or bandanna with tattoos on his arm and neck. The vehicle he fled into is possibly a 2012 silver sedan with dark tinted windows and chrome wheels.

"We have what sounds like a person who was at the wrong address," Martinez said. "He was there to see this Charlie person, and Charlie didn't live at that address."